BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 410

By: White

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

It has been noted that very small producers of rabbit meat in Texas which are exempt from certain federal inspection requirements are subject to the same state inspection requirements of much larger livestock processing establishments. C.S.H.B. 410 seeks to address this issue by exempting certain domestic rabbit processing establishments from requirements for low-volume livestock processing establishments.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 410 amends the Health and Safety Code to exempt a low-volume livestock processing establishment that is exempt from federal inspection and processes fewer than 500 domestic rabbits in a calendar year from the requirement to register with the Department of State Health Services and from the requirement to develop a sanitary operation procedures plan. The bill defines "low-volume livestock processing establishment," for purposes of requirements for such establishments, to include an establishment that processes fewer than 10,000 poultry or domestic rabbits in a calendar year.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 410 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

The substitute includes an exemption from low-volume livestock processing establishment requirements for certain establishments that process domestic rabbits and does not include provisions relating to a personal use exemption for certain gifts or sales of domestic rabbit carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, or food products. The substitute includes a definition for "low-volume livestock processing establishment."